The present invention relates generally to belt shortening devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to devices suitable for shortening seat belt webbing. In addition, the present invention relates to the removal of slack from seat belt webbing retaining a baby seat in place on a supporting vehicle seat.
In the prior art, lengths of belt material or webbing are commonly used to retain a structure in place. For example, belts are frequently used to retain stacked articles in place on a pallet. Belts are also commonly employed in vehicles to secure an occupant for safety purposes. In particular, these existing belts in vehicles are typically used to secure a baby's seat to the supporting vehicle seat. While belts are effective for security, they suffer from the disadvantage of having unwanted slack which decreases the effectiveness of the belt's ability to secure and retain the baby seat in place.
To address the inherent problem of slack in belts for retaining, there have been many attempts in the prior art to reduce or eliminate such slack. For example, ratcheted spindles have been available in the prior art. The belt webbing is typically routed around the spindle and wound about the spindle with the assistance of the ratchet. Further, the ratchet provides additional leverage and locking to enable the belt to be tightened and released as desired. Also, spring clips have been provided to grip excess portions of the belt to thereby shorten the belt.
However, these prior art devices suffer from many disadvantages which makes them undesirable to use. These prior art devices commonly require that a free end of the belt be routed through the device to enable winding of the belt by the device to effectuate shortening. Other devices permanently incorporate the ratchet take-up mechanism directly on the belt itself. Such devices are commonly used on special belt systems for retaining articles on a pallet. As can be understood, the foregoing prior art devices are unsuitable for shortening vehicle seat belts because vehicle seat belts are not capable of being routed onto a ratchet take-up mechanism due to the presence of bulky buckles, both male and female, present on the free ends of the belts.
In view of the foregoing, there is a demand for a belt shortening device which is well suited for shortening vehicle seat belts. There is a particular demand for a belt shortening device that can be easily retrofitted to an installed baby seat without disengaging the existing belt connection. In addition, there is a demand for a belt shortening device that is compact, inexpensive and easy to operate.